The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-09-14
CARLOADS OF MONEY.
A Procession rwenty-Three Miles Long
Figures About Uncle Sans Cash.
New York Mail ana Express

A Procession Twenty Three Miles Long
Figures About Uncle Sans Cash.
New York Mail and Express.
Few persons, perhaps, who read the fire.
quently-published reports of the fiscal op-
erations of the Government give any con-
sideration to the vastness and significance
OF these operations. We read of the hun
dreds of millions of gold and silver in the
Treasury at Washington, bat how few per-
sons have any intelligent idea of what is
embraced in the nine figures required to
to describe the liabilities and assets of the
Government. 1t is only when the aurifer-
Gus contents of the Treasury vaults are
weighted and measured and placed by the
side of articles and commodities that are
daily handled BY the masses that an intel.
Hgent comprehension can be obtained by
the people of the financial strength of the
Treasury and the great extent of the Gov
ernment's fiscal operations.
By reference to the latest published
statement OF the Treasury assets and liza
bilities, it is learned that among the assets
was $281, 096, 5l7 in gold and nearly $780,.
DOC, 900 in silver, including $4,000, 900 OF
trade dollars and fractional coins. Taking
up this $281, zoo, 600 of gold and placing lit
on scales, find that the gold held by the
Treasury weighed $40 tons, and if packed
into ordinary carts, one ton to each cart,
1t would make procession two miles long,
allowing twenty feet Of space for the
movement of each horse and cart. The
weighing of the silver produces much
more interesting results. Running this
over the scales, / find it weight to be
1896 tons. Measuring it in carts, as in the
case of the gold, the silver now held by the
Treasury would require the services of
1896 horses and carts to transport It, and
would make procession over twenty-one
miles in length. The surplus about which
30 much is said in the daily newspapers,
amounts TO nearly $47, 000, 900, an increase
of 5000 600 since July l. Counted as
gold, this surplus would weigh eighty-six
and one-haf tons. Counted as silver, it
would weigh 1885 tons. Each million OF
gold adds 8, 6S5 pounds to the surplus and
each million of silver adds 81, $50 pounds
Applying cubic measurement to the
Treasury gold and silver, and piling the
two metals on Pennsylvania avenue, as
| cordwood is piled before delivery to the
seven cords and the silver 400 cords, and
| both would extend from the Treasury De-
| partment to -Four -and-a-half street, or
| from the Treasury to the Pension Office in
a straight line, and forming a solid wall
eight feet high and four feet broad.
Extending these calculations and com.
| PARSONS to the Understanding debt,
equally interesting results are obtained.
| The public debt reached the highest point
in August, 1S65-just twenty-five years
ago-Then it was 81, 3S1 $50, 295. The gen.
eral reader will better appreciate the vast
| ness of this sum when informed that il
| represents 20. 156 tons of silver, which
would make a procession of carts that
would extend from Richmond, Va, to a
| point twelve miles north of Philadel phia,
the distance it would thus cover being 266
miles.
The interest bearing debt is now (not in
| Guiding the Pacific railroad bOnds) 81, COL
| 976, $50, showing that the sum paid has
| been 81 379, 553 AS, or more than one-hali
| Of the total amount, and representing 40
| 637 tons Of silver dollars which would ex-
tend 154 miles if packed in carts contain
| ing one ton each.
Reducing these figures to basis where
they may be intelligently comprehended,
and that the rapldity with which the Gov.
eminent has reduced It's bonded debt may
be fully realized by the general reader, /
find that the reduction has been at the
average rate of $62 707, 975 each year, S.
| 225, 5S1 each month, $174. 1S6 each day, s.,
258 each hour, and $120 AZ for every min
ute of the entire twenty-five years.
Pursuing the calculation to the smallest
divisible space of time, the bonded bebt OF
| the United States has been decreased at
the rate of 81 or for every second, or for
the entire period from August 81, 1865, to
July 81 1887.
This is an exhibition of recuperation
and material progress that is without par
allel In the worlds history.